New Delhi: Taking a serious view of media
reports disclosing the identity of the two-year-old battered
child admitted in AIIMS and the minor girl who brought the
baby to hospital, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday set up a
committee to look into the issue.
Taking suo motu cognisance of a letter written to Chief
Justice for framing of guidelines for media, a bench of Acting
Chief Justice AK Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw also
sought the response from the Centre as well as city government
within a week.
The bench said the committee will comprise of presiding
officer of Juvenile Justice Board, a member from National
Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) besides the
concerned officers from the central and Delhi governments.
The court also said representatives from an NGO, media
and a nominee from the Press Council will also be in the
committee.
"The committee will deliberate on the issue and file a
report by March 7," said the bench.
The letter, written by an advocate, alleged that in past
several reports by media have disclosed material details of
the child and other juveniles in conflict with law, which is
in violation of Juvenile Justices Act.
The lawyer also said "India being the signatory to United
Nations` Convention on Child Rights, is under obligation to
ensure protection of law against any unlawful intervention
into the privacy of a child or any attack on child`s honour."
The child was brought to the AIIMS Trauma Centre on
January 18 with severe head injury, both her arms broken, bite
marks all over her body and her cheeks branded with hot iron.
Immediately after her admission, doctors conducted a life
saving surgery on her brain and another two were undertaken at
a later date.
PTI
